An optical fiber connector may include a connector body with numerous passages and an alignment assembly lying in a front portion of each passage. Each alignment assembly includes an alignment sleeve and may include an outer sleeve that surrounds the alignment sleeve. The alignment sleeve is commonly formed of ceramic, which is difficult to precisely machine, so it is commonly formed without any flanges, but with a slot that allows it to expand slightly. An optical fiber is fixed in a ferrule that slides forwardly into the alignment sleeve, with a mating ferrule and its optical fiber sliding rearwardly into the alignment sleeve until the tips of the ferrules and optical fibers abut.
Each body passage front portion may include a rearwardly-facing shoulder that prevents the alignment assembly from moving forward out of the passage. As a result, replacement of a damaged alignment assembly requires that it be pulled out of the rear end of the body. Such pullout from the rear end can be difficult because of the large number of optical cables extending from the rear of the body. The ceramic alignment sleeve is easily damaged, so it is highly desirable if an alignment assembly could be rapidly replaced with minimum manipulation. A fiber optic connector that enabled rapid replacement of an alignment sleeve from the front end of the connector body, would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an optical fiber connector is provided, which enables rapid replacement of an alignment assembly that includes an alignment sleeve, from the front mating end of the connector. The connector includes a body with at least one passage, and an alignment assembly lying in a front portion of the passage. The alignment assembly includes an alignment sleeve that receives two optical fibers that are to be coupled. A retainer lying in the front passage portion, abuts a forwardly-facing shoulder on the alignment assembly to retain the alignment assembly, but with the retainer being deflectable to expand it and enable pullout of the alignment assembly from the front end of the body passage. The body may include a plurality of rows and columns of passages, with an alignment assembly and retainer in each passage.
Each alignment assembly includes an outer sleeve, or mount sleeve, that surrounds the alignment sleeve. The mount sleeve has an internal flange at its front end to prevent forward movement of the alignment sleeve out of the mount sleeve. The mount sleeve also has an outside flange that forms a forwardly-facing shoulder, to be engaged by the retainer, to hold the alignment sleeve in the passage until the retainer is deflected to release the alignment assembly. The mount sleeve xe2x80x9cfloatsxe2x80x9d within the front passage portion, in that it can tilt by at least 1xc2x0 to align itself with ferrules that are inserted into the alignment sleeve and that contain the optical fibers that are to be coupled. The retainer can include a sheet metal cylinder with slots that form tines, and with the cylinder having a cylindrical rear portion that surrounds the outside flange of the mount sleeve to closely locate the flange within the passage front portion.